Rewriting Memories
by gravitythief
Summary: Revisiting the past that he thought he knew, Fox changes his frame of mind as he gets to know the real side to Wolf in a post aparoid Corneria. Fox/Wolf yaoi pairing, with possibility of Panther/Krystal. Also Fox/Panther Friendship. Rated M for occasional language and adult themes. Updates weekly.
1. Long Days

This is my first Starfox fanfic. If you don't like M/M pairings, I suggest you go somewhere else. Explicit sex scenes will have their own chapter, in case you don't want to read them. You won't miss any plot points by doing so.

StarFox and all related items are copyright Nintendo. I don't own any of the characters or canon plot or basically anything in the games, so don't sue me.

I feel so awkward being a guy and writing yaoi, but I have a boyfriend so who am I to complain?

Fox: "When you were writing this, you have no idea what you were doing, did you?"

Me: "It was 5 AM and I couldn't sleep, what would you expect?""

Fox: "Did you by any chance have coffee?"

Me: "Well I may have had several cups, bu-"

Fox: "OH GAWD... HELP!"

Anyway... Onto the story!

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**Long Days**

Life was rough for the great Fox Mccloud. He was a "hero" in the minds of the people he saved, but in the dark confines of his own, he was a slave working off an infinite debt, and quite a lonely one too. His relationship with Krystal didn't last, and she decided that it was best to "just be friends." He remembered seeing an ecstatic Wolf after the news got out. Media hounds really are a pain in the ass. Wolf had looked as if he had just won a billion credits at the news, and it angered Fox to even think about it. Perhaps it was the uncertainty as to the reason behind Wolf's sudden joy that gave him a sense of fear, and in turn, a sense of anger. It then occurred to him that he never really understood Wolf's motives at all. Nothing about the cruel mercenary ever made sense to him. Wolf had made it very clear that he wanted Fox dead, yet he can't seem to keep himself from saving the life of the one he vowed to kill. Wolf amended that he wanted to kill Fox personally, but when he said that, it had a subtle lack of confidence, as if it was made up on the spot. Wolf was certainly no coward, yet Fox couldn't figure out what was going through the villain's mind that made him do and say things he did. They just seemed too out of character at times.

Fox spent a while pondering this paradox in his room aboard the Great Fox. He had the time to, as being a mercenary tended to give him a lot of breaks. It was 8 o'clock in the morning anyway, so he wasn't in a rush to do anything. His curiosity and lack of an explanation got the better of him, so he decided to do some research.

"ROB, could you retrieve all information regarding Wolf O'Donnell from the Cornerian Archives? Dated before the Lylat War please."

"Yes, of course," replied the robotic voice of ROB.

Fox was granted access to the Cornerian Archives a couple months ago, courtesy of General Pepper, but he never used his high clearance level beyond walking straight into the general's office a couple of times.

"Data available for Wolf O'Donnell," said Rob after a couple of minutes.

"Transfer it to my tablet."

There was a tremendous amount of information about Wolf, but almost all of it was either related to his mercenary work, or his many crimes, both of which were post-war. The little bits of information he did find weren't very useful. After scrolling through a couple more pages of things he already knew, he realized something that completely escaped his mind earlier: Wolf had gone to the flight academy, just as Fox had.

Fox punched in his password a couple more times and gained extended access to the database, which encompassed all information that the archives contained, as well as had access to. To the credit of the archives, they had a lot more access to external information sources than Fox had initially thought. A bit more searching brought Fox to Wolf's file in the flight academy student records, as well as a bunch of school photos and even a couple of videos. It was essentially Wolf's childhood timeline, as the flight academy was a full schooling experience. Every grade level was taught at that academy, all the way to the end of college. Fox started with photos from year one. Wolf was only 5 years old at the time, and was admittedly quite adorable with his large violet eyes. All of the photos and videos from the early years always depicted him as happy, but Fox actually didn't remember much of this. He remembered a different Wolf, one which would look down and move away in a shy manner when Fox bumped into him, even though Wolf was almost 3 years older than Fox was. Fox had always assumed that it was because his own dad was a famous mercenary and former instructor at the academy, as it wasn't uncommon for students there to be self-conscious around him. Yet in the videos, Wolf seemed to be the most extroverted person ever.

Fox continued to look at the timeline, and all the records indicated that Wolf was an upbeat person. His grades were excellent, he scored insanely high on all the tests, and he was always in a happy mood.

And then it happened.

During Wolf's tenth year at the academy, he got into a fight and lost an eye. It was the one memory that Fox wanted to forget, because it was his fault. During Fox's eighth year at the academy, he was jealous of Wolf's popularity and all the attention he got. Wolf was clearly the better student, but Fox was upset with Wolf, so like any hormonal teenager at the time, he decided to pick a fight.

It started out as a verbal battle, and even then, Wolf did something that had confused Fox since.

He cried.

It was a silent cry, where tears flowed and fell, but no sound could be heard, no tremor in his voice noticeable, but it was there. Fox didn't pay attention to the odd occurrence at the time. The verbal fight turned physical, but by the time the headmaster arrived, Wolf had lost an eye. It was obvious that Fox started the fight, but because he was the son of James Mccloud, they twisted the story to make it look like Wolf was to blame. Even though Wolf lost an eye, Fox had a broken arm and a couple broken ribs, so as a result, Wolf was expelled from the academy, which was one of the most humiliating things that could happen to you, but that didn't make him cry. Wolf's cry at the fight was the first time he ever shed tears, and probably the last.

The records ended there, but a small post-expulsion note was found with the rest of his file. It was a picture of a sticky note, which read:

"If you need someone to talk to, call 1-ADJ-07489"

Fox didn't miss a beat. He immediately dialed the number, and after a couple of rings, someone picked up.

"Hello, this is Glenn's Psychiatric Services. How can I help you?" said a female voice.

Fox never quite thought things through, so he stumbled for words. His voice came out shaky.

"Uhh… I got this number… I wanted to know who it was… I need to talk to you… it's important."

"Isn't this Fox Mccloud? My name is Laura. Why do you need to talk to me exactly?"

"I don't know yet, I just do."

There was a brief silence, and then, in a nonchalant way, she replied:

"I don't have any clients today, you are welcome to drop by if you want. My office is at 7112 Cranberry Road."

"Thank you very much, I shall be on my way then."

Fox ended the call and got up, which brought to his attention the fact that he was completely naked except for the small pendant he wore every day. He had found it a couple weeks after his dad died. He had taken a hike through the mountains of the Cornerian National Park to ease the pain of his father's passing. At the very top of the mountain, he let loose into a screaming fit that went on for about fifteen minutes. After he finished, he saw a small silvery object falling from the sky and landing by his feet. Fox decided to keep it as remembrance for his father. It was made of some ridiculously hard metal that was probably super rare, and it was shaped in the figure of a running fox. It looked as if there was some other piece that would fit with it in a yin-yang fashion. The last, and possibly most mysterious part of it was the blue gem located where the eye of the fox would go. It gave a faint glow and some subtle warmth, but Fox had seen stranger things, so he didn't question it.

Fox never really cared about the origin and details of the pendant before, but curiosity got the better of him again, so he decided to do some research. When they were building the new Great Fox, he had requested a private library for his own living quarters after being caught doing research while nude in the middle of the night several times by Krystal. Courtesy of the new library, books could be found strewn about everywhere in his room. Although his thoroughly messy living quarters made it difficult to find anything, he eventually came across his target of interest: a tablet-like device with a scanner built into it. It was a gift from one of his father's friends when he was little. You could point the scanner at just about anything, and it would tell you what it was, give you a detailed description, and give you the estimated price for it. The guy had told Fox that it would come in handy in case he ever wanted to go treasure hunting. He had also claimed that this device had info (or access to info) on 99.999% of all the items in the known universe. It seemed like a stretch, but all the times it had been used, it was able to provide plentiful amounts of data on just about anything.

Fox placed the pendant in front of him and ran the scanner on it. However, the scan took a lot longer than the usual five second delay. After waiting a couple of minutes, it outputted some text:

CATEGORY: ARTIFACT

TYPE: PENDANT

AGE: N/A

METAL: N/A

GEM: N/A

INFO: N/A

PRICE: N/A

NOTES: For more info, conduct research regarding fictional/unconfirmed artifacts, as unconfirmed data is not available in artifact databases.

The last line caught Fox's eye, as he wasn't about to give up just yet. He put the pendant back on before searching through the bookshelves again. He had thousands of books in his private library, most of which he's never read. As he pulled out books, large amounts of dust flew into the air, which made Fox start sneezing. First once, then twice, then many more times, as his sneezing created enough wind to pick up yet more dust. When he finally stopped, he noticed an old book he had previously missed due to all the dust particles covering everything. He looked at the old leather-bound book that was probably over 100 years old. It was titled "The Encyclopedia of Mythological Artifacts." Fox sat down to look through the thick book. He worked quickly as he was also going to visit Laura in the afternoon. After about an hour of searching, he found it. The entry was titled:

Lylatica Alphacrystallis and Lylatica Omegacrystallis: The matchmaker crystals

Also known as the Alpha and Omega crystals.

These two crystals are formed in pairs inside the Lylat star. One Alpha crystal will always have a matching Omega crystal. They are always found embedded into a pendant made of ichorsteel, a silvery, indestructible magic alloy. The Alpha crystal is red, while the Omega crystal is blue. The crystals themselves have a conscience, and they separate to each seek out a kind, noble, and often troubled heart. The ones they choose are fated lovers, hence why they are known as matchmaker crystals. They cannot be stolen, as they simply vanish when in the wrong hands. The matching pendants fit together like puzzle pieces, as proof of their entanglement.

Fox stared at the page in disbelief and thought to himself, 'A fated lover? That just seems beyond ridiculous. So I'm supposed to go find someone with a matching red Alpha crystal pendant that I have probably never met before and just be all like "Hey you who I don't know, we're supposed to be fated lovers so will you marry me?" That will never happen in this world, not in a million years.'

However, no matter how much Fox denied the existence of someone out there who is fated to be with him, he could help but feel a little giddy at the revelation. Seeing that it was already eleven o'clock, he hurriedly threw on some casual clothing and put the books away, as he didn't want to be too late. He couldn't stop smiling, no matter how hard he tried.

After he got dressed, he went through his usual morning routine. He didn't bump into anyone, which wasn't all that surprising, since a total of 4 people occupied a dreadnaught class battleship. Falco was probably in the lounge. He was also probably drinking, practicing at the pool table, playing video games, jerking off, or doing all of those activities simultaneously. Slippy is almost always in the docking bay or the engine room, which is where all his tinkering happens. Peppy could be in a lot of places, so Fox didn't know where to start guessing, but most of the time, he can be found dozing in the bridge.

Fox made his way to the docking bay, where Slippy was nowhere to be found, much to Fox's relief. He hopped into his arwing onto his seat. His ship had a familiar feeling that made him feel warm inside, as it had stuck with him through thick and thin. As he was about close the canopy on his arwing, Peppy walked in, looked at Fox, nodded, and then walked off. Peppy and Krystal had this magical ability to read other people like books. They couldn't do it perfectly, but they both could just tell when something is bothering you. They could also tell whether it's okay to ask you what it is. This was one of the reasons Fox's relationship with Krystal didn't go well: She could sometimes know what Fox was thinking before he actually thought it. As such, Fox was never quite at ease around Krystal, and regarded her as more of a mother figure than a partner.

Launching from the docking bay was about as normal as it could get, and soon Fox was in open space. Since the Great Fox was in orbit around Corneria, the large planet was already looming below. Fox felt an odd peace finally being in space again. Even if the thrill of a dogfight would probably not return for a while, flying was still on the top of Fox's list of favorite activities. Deciding that he shouldn't spend too much of the Arwing energy looping aimlessly, Fox took a deep breath and started descending.

As much as he wanted to convince himself that this would be just an ordinary excursion, all his other adventures had proved otherwise in similar circumstances. He dully acknowledged to himself that he was nowhere near ready for another shitstorm like the aparoids, but then again, was he ever?

* * *

Famous last words: "What's the worst that could happen?" XD

Thank you guys SO MUCH for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

A second chapter is in progress, so stay tuned!


	2. Him Again

YAY! Chapter 2!

I'm building up a buffer of at least a chapter or two. My goal is to publish one chapter every week.

I am also a review whore, so please, please give feedback. It can really make my day. :D

Fox: "I'm quite honestly surprised you haven't made me into Wolf's boy-toy yet."

Me: " 'Yet' being the keyword here."

Fox: ...

Wolf: "Oh hey guys! I'm supposed to enter the plot soon. I brought the script with me."

Fox: "Hey Wolf... and did you read the script yet?"

Wolf: "Oh hey Fox! Uh no, should I have? And why do look like you're going to kill someone?"

Me: "Well it's because-"

Fox: "YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!"

Yeah... authors are weird... Onto the next chapter! XD

* * *

**Him Again**

Corneria was a beauty once again, as many of the destroyed buildings were already beginning reconstruction, with some already completed. After landing at the space port, Fox was instantly greeted by news reporters. Immediately annoyed at the unwanted attention, he broke into a sprint. The reporters quickly gave chase, but Fox was able to get them off his tail rather swiftly, as the crowds of people at the subway station acted as a wonderful blockade. Fox jumped into one of the high-speed bullet trains right as the door was about to close. One benefit of being a hero, is that people give you many things for free, transportation included. With the reconstruction going on, many of the railways started using G-diffusers, as it was faster, smoother, and a lot safer. Fox looked out the window as the train left the underground tunnel. Scenery flew by as the train picked up speed. However, his trance was broken by a voice from the seat in front of him.

"Corneria really does look beautiful when it's not getting fucked over by some stupid-ass war."

Fox immediately recognized the character. It was him again. A lupine with an eye patch and a rough voice. He was none other than Wolf O'Donnell. Thankfully, the lupine didn't notice Fox behind him, and continued to gaze at the view outside. Fox proceeded to stare at his rival and analyze him. This was the first time Fox had seen Wolf up close, as well as the first time he'd seen Wolf in casual civilian clothing. Fox had to use every last bit of his willpower to not burst out laughing and reveal himself, as Wolf was truly a sight to behold. He was wearing a muscle shirt and a pair of shorts that were from a big name fashion company that everyone seemed to like. The strangest thing Fox though he could ever see, was a normal looking Wolf O'Donnell. Halfway through the hour long ride, Fox noticed that Wolf had fallen asleep. Fox heard a quiet snore escaping from the lupine. Fox got up silently and sat down gently next to Wolf so he could get a closer look. Fox was used to dangerous situations, but this got his adrenaline pumping more than anything else ever had. He couldn't figure out why he was so terrified, as Wolf wouldn't kill him on sight, would he? He continued to take in as much information as possible. Fox noticed that Wolf was, as far as he could see, completely unarmed. He also noticed the lupine's strong, musky odor. He found it somewhat intoxicating and a little bit titillating, but he couldn't pinpoint the reason as to why, so he just figured that most musky odors trigger those sensations. His wandering gaze eventually fell on Wolf's black eye patch, but Fox looked away almost reflexively as guilt started welling up inside of him. He immediately wished that the past was different, that he didn't start that fight so long ago. He would have given up both his eyes if it would have fixed things. A louder snore and a quiet moan brought Fox's gaze back on his rival. He noticed that Wolf was drooling slightly with his tongue sticking out to the side of his muzzle. He also noticed that there was a slight bulge in Wolf's pants.

'He must be dreaming about raping some innocent girl, that fucking bastard,' thought Fox as he got up and moved to one of the seats farther back. However, Fox didn't exactly find his own thoughts convincing, and he decided to cut Wolf some slack, because for the most part, you can't control what you dream about.

When they arrived at the Corneria City Station, a chime sounded from the overhead speakers, followed by a pleasant voice on the intercom that informed the passengers that the train was making a stop. The chimes were loud enough to awaken Wolf, and he sat up with a startled look on his face. Even from a distance, Fox could detect the slightest shade of red on Wolf's cheeks as he got up to exit the train. Fox also witnessed another first. Wolf was paying for the train ride. It was the first time he'd seen Wolf pay for anything at all, much less a train fare. Maybe he wasn't such a bad person after all. Fox waited a while before exiting the train, where he insisted that he pay the fare, much to the ticket master's frustration. Everyone wanted to be as nice as possible to Fox, even when they didn't really need to be. As much as Fox was confused at what he just witnessed, he realized that Wolf was rather amusing when he wasn't trying to kill him.

After getting off the train, he decided to follow Wolf for a bit to see where the lupine would go. After about 15 minutes, he saw Wolf enter the Corneria City Mall. It was the biggest mall on the planet, and had basically anything and everything you could possibly think of. Fox couldn't be bothered to think about what Wolf could possibly want to do in there, as the question was practically impossible to answer anyway, so instead, Fox went to go find Laura's office.

It wasn't long before Fox arrived at his destination. It was one of the older buildings, which looked more homely than the metro skyscrapers Corneria was famous for. When Fox walked in he noticed the earthy smell, and found it quite appealing, as the only smell he's really been exposed to for a while was the metallic smell of the new Great Fox. He had liked the smell of the old one, but it had been destroyed at the end of the Aparoid Invasion. His sniffing spree was cut short by the voice from the phone call earlier.

"Oh do come in and take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

Laura Glenn was an elderly squirrel with a strong livelihood about her that Fox couldn't quite explain. Fox took a seat and settled with a cup of coffee. After they were seated, Laura asked Fox what it was that he was dying to ask. Fox was never very good at being elegant in his speech, so he just blurted it out.

"Did Wolf O'Donnell ever come and talk to you?"

Upon hearing the name, Laura's face immediately changed to one of seriousness. A period of silence occurred, and the only sounds to be heard were that of the birds outside and the grandfather clock in the other room. She eventually answered the question with another question.

"Why?"

Fox thought very hard about how he was going to explain this. He didn't want to come across as a stalker who invades other people's privacy. There was, however, no other way of explaining it except by telling the truth, so Fox started talking about his past with Wolf, his research, and how he came across that particular phone number.

She seemed satisfied with the answer, as she next stated,

"Yes, Wolf has been a long time client, and still is. I'm assuming you've come here to inquire about him?"

Fox didn't quite know what it was that he really came here to find out. He was half-expecting information to be thrown straight at him like the way computers do, or the way General Pepper does in the mission debriefings. Beyond that, he was horrible at asking for information. However, the shrink waited patiently for a response, as awkwardness isn't all that uncommon in the profession. After a lot of thought, Fox finally asked,

"On the day I decided to pick a fight with him, he started crying. I wanted to know the real reason behind that. To my knowledge that is the only time he's ever cried."

Laura thought for a moment, then responded,

"Although I have the answer to your question, I cannot give that information to you. You will have to confront Wolf by yourself if you want an answer."

Fox rolled his eyes at this, as that was the last thing he wanted to hear. Even though the only experience with information hunting was with computers, he had a clear analogy to her response:

"ACCESS DENIED"

But the next sentence made Fox's ears perk up.

"I can, however, give you his private phone number, although it is a double-layer obfuscated number, so you won't be able to track it or give it to other people."

"Where the heck does he get that kind of number?! That's usually reserved for high standing individuals like company owners and government officials!" Fox half-shouted.

"Beats me. Now put your phone onto the data transfer pad on the table."

The coffee table suddenly lit up with many menus and status lights. Fox immediately recognized it as a standard Space Dynamics control panel. It looked quite out of place among all the old furniture and antiques that were located around the room. Fox placed his phone on the small rectangle that appeared on the screen, and the number was immediately transferred.

Laura then explained, "I'm friends with Beltino Toad, so I can get him to make customized devices, such as this coffee table."

Beltino is Slippy's father, as well as the Director of Engineering at Space Dynamics. Fox had met him a couple of times, and found him to be a really cool guy. He's also good at keeping conversations going for hours, which is more or less an undesirable trait at certain times, but he's never boring and always makes a great friend.

In the conversation that followed, Fox was unable to get much information out of the old squirrel. Although Fox wasn't great with people, he had a feeling that she was keeping the information away from him for reasons other than just confidentiality. Something about the way she talked made him feel like he was missing a very, VERY, important piece of information. This bothered him more than anything else. He eventually gave his thanks to the old lady, and walked outside. He was dying for answers now. He didn't even know why he wanted so badly to know this seemingly insignificant piece of info, although his encounter with Wolf on the train probably didn't help matters much. Everything and everyone had essentially told him to hate Wolf, but something inside felt really bad for him. Seeing Wolf earlier made Fox further question what he thought he knew about the lupine. Fox had regretted the entire thing for a very long time now, but maybe there is still a trace of happiness inside the former villain? If Fox hadn't done what he did, Wolf may have been a friend instead of an enemy, and things would have been a lot different than from what they are now, but the past is the past, and it cannot be changed. Fox was somewhat relieved that the damage he did might have been a little smaller that he had previously thought.

He decided that the best thing to do is to do what his father had taught him to: follow his gut. Fox took out his phone and pressed the contact labeled "Wolf O'Donnell." There was no going back.

* * *

Stalker Fox is a stalker.

Thank you guys for reading. It means a lot to me... as do reviews, so leave feedback please? *puppy eyes*

Chapter 3 should be up in a week, so be sure to check back!


	3. Panther the Master Chef

Chapter 3 has arrived!... 6 hours after I intended... because... I got distracted... playing Unturned. It's like DayZ, but with worse graphics and different gameplay. BUT IT'S FREE!... so feel free to check it out on Steam. XD

I really wish I can keep up with this one chapter a week thing... writing is hard... sorta... okay... maybe i'm busy doing other important things... that may or may not include video games... yeah... shut up... I know I'm hopeless...

Shout-out to Virgofox28 and zewing for being awsome people and reviewing. It really means a lot to me. :D Keep the reviews coming guys!

Fox: "So it looks like we have a fair bit of time before the author starts doing unspeakable things to us. Use this time to prepare yourself"

Wolf: "Eh... I think I'll be fine... You're probably the one being fucked anyway."

Fox: "Wut...OH I'M GONNA KILL THAT BASTARD"

Wolf: "Good luck on that... Don't you remember the contract you signed?"

Fox: "Huh? What contract?"

Wolf: *sniff* "How much vodka did he give you?!"

Fox: "Wait he gave me vodka? Whaaaat..."

Panther: "Hey guys! I got a role in this story!"

Fox & Wolf: *glares* "WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU WEARING?!"

Behind the scenes dialog seems funny for some reason. Deal with it. XD

* * *

**Panther the Master Chef**

"Oh, hello pup… do I want to know how you got my number?" came a rough voice.

"Your shrink gave it to me."

Fox heard some swearing and the sound of items falling on the floor. They sounded like the paper bags you get at department stores. Eventually Wolf spoke again.

"What did you want anyway?"

"I want answers"

"Well you're not getting them."

"Why?"

"I'm busy."

"With what?"

"I'm…uh…moving supplies back to Sargasso."

Fox could tell that the lupine was just using bullshit to cover up the fact that he went shopping at the mall, as the Sargasso Space Station was abandoned by Star Wolf recently. Last time Fox had checked, the station was completely empty. Not a single item was left, but the vulpine simply smiled, pretended not to know, and played along with it.

"Sure…moving things…sounds like fun…"

"Like you would know anything about it. It's not like you have to maintain a space station without help from anybody. Heck, the Cornerian government would bend backwards for you if you asked them to."

Fox, figuring that Wolf wouldn't be easily convinced, decided it best to end the conversation.

"Well, seeing as you're busy, I'll leave you to your obviously boring task of moving stuff. See you later."

Wolf gave a grunt in response before the line went dead. It was half an hour past noon, and Fox was hungry for lunch. There was news of some sort of chef contest that was supposed to start soon at Lylat's Cuisine, one of the most famous restaurants around. Fox decided that since he would be eating, he might as well enjoy a show while he was at it.

When he got to the entrance, he was immediately greeted by the host and given VIP seating right in front of where the contest was going to take place, much to Fox's delight. (More hero perks.) It was a very nice restaurant, but Fox didn't know very much about these kinds of places, so there could be places hundreds of times fancier and he would probably never know, or care. He knew that you ate at restaurants, and anything more than that was beyond him. After a couple minutes, the attendees got quiet, and the lights dimmed. The chefs started making an entrance. First came a male rhino, next a panda, then an avian, a husky, a female leopard, and of all people, Panther Caroso. They all wore funny looking white chef hats and white chef clothes. Panther, like Wolf, was a sight to behold outside a flight suit, and Fox had to stifle a laugh. Fox had just so happened to sit right in front of Panther's station, so when the feline finally walked over the two made awkward eye contact for a moment. It was mostly just Fox giving Panther a completely blank stare. So blank in fact, that when Panther waved his hand in front of Fox's face, there was no response, as if he had been frozen in time. Panther just shrugged and started preparing his station. Only after Panther broke eye contact did Fox escape the dazed stasis and return to reality. Fox then continued looking at Panther, and when they made eye contact again, the feline just smiled. He seemed like a rather decent guy when he wasn't trying to kill people.

There was an opening speech before the contest began. Fox wasn't exactly sure of the objectives, but not long after, food started appearing in front of him. The first round appeared to consist of some form or another of an appetizer. He tasted each of the six dishes in front of him. They all tasted amazing to him, as he couldn't really tell the difference anyway. However, he did notice that Panther's dish was the most visually appealing. The food was carefully arranged on the plate and adorned with a beautiful red rose. Upon further inspection, there were words written on the plate using some of the sauce that read:

"How is Krystal holding up?"

'Of course Panther would be interested in Krystal…' thought Fox as he started eating. Fox gave Panther an expression that read: "She's doing alright." Panther's dish was noticeably better than the others, and the judges seemed to agree, as he received a 9.5 out of 10, but the others weren't far behind, with the highest score being 9 and the lowest being 8.25. The next round was salad, and like last time, they were all amazing. Panther again included a rose with the dish, but this time, there was a folded piece of rice paper in the salad. When Fox opened it, it had some more text that read:

"More importantly, how are you holding up? You seem a bit off. Are you okay?"

Fox stopped dead and gave an intense stare at the note, food half chewed.

'Panther is worried about me? Looks like hell is freezing over…' thought the now confused vulpine.

Fox resumed chewing and looked up to see Panther giving an expression of genuine concern. It didn't look like he had any ulterior motives. Maybe he was actually inclined to be kind to people? That would certainly explain his fondness of cooking.

Fox gave a shrug, as the past couple of days had left him very confused and slightly doubting what he believed was reality. He didn't need Panther getting into his head as well. Panther returned an unconvinced look, but Fox tried to pretend that he didn't notice. The next dish of soup came with yet another note. Fox was quite tempted to eat the rice paper message without reading it, but urge gave into reason, and he opened it. It read:

"I can read you like an open book, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Seriously, you should watch a video of yourself sometime and take a look. I know something's up. We can talk after the contest, okay?"

Fox jumped a little at the message.

'So much for keeping Panther out of my thoughts…'

He eventually gave a hesitant nod toward Panther. He wasn't sure why he wasn't completely mortified at the subject of talking to someone who had tried to kill him and his team members, but he felt like he needed to talk to someone who wouldn't judge his thoughts and sugar coat everything. It also seemed less awkward than talking to his own teammates about sensitive topics, as they would probably think that something was wrong with Fox's head and send him to a mental ward. The rest of the dishes came without notes, but things were heating up between Panther and the husky, as they were currently tied in terms of points. Panther had forgotten a vital ingredient in the soup or something stupid like that, so he got penalized pretty hard. The husky was clearly irritated that the penalty hadn't put himself in the lead. Panther had his usual cool face with only the slightest bit of dissatisfaction with the current scores. Panther had this attitude of "I am a gentleman, and I will be a gentleman even if it kills me." At the end of the contest, the points were totaled up, and the husky had beat Panther by two points. However, the judges were still debating about bonus points. Panther was eventually awarded for cleanest workstation, cleanest garments, having least amount of wasted materials, most visually appealing dishes, and showing the most gracious professionalism out of all the contestants. After the final totaling, Panther had beaten the husky by a mere quarter point. He gave a graceful bow to the audience and judges before receiving his trophy. The onlookers applauded excitedly at the declaration of a winner. They gave the closing speech, which talked about the importance of not only rebuilding Lylat's cities, but also its culture. After a couple more handshakes, the event was officially over, and the attendees slowly left the restaurant. The judges left and the event organizers began the process of cleaning up as the room started emptying. The other chefs left with less-than-happy faces at being beaten. Panther eventually motioned Fox to follow him before retiring to one of the rooms in the back. Fox sat down on a sofa and waited for Panther to say something.

"So what is it that's bothering you?"

Fox thought for a minute before answering. "I guess it's just that so much has happened recently. Everything's different now."

Panther continued his inquiring. "Are you more bothered by the change you see in the physical world around you, or the change you see in people?"

"In people I guess… I mean… I never expected you to be an award winning chef…"

"To be honest, neither did I, but I had always wanted to. People don't truly change, they just bend to circumstance. If outside stresses are too strong or last too long, they may stay bent, but they can also be brought back with opposite stresses. When I was fifteen, I had aspired to be the best chef in Lylat, but my plans were cut short. There was a murder at the cooking school I attended. Whoever committed the crime must have really disliked me, as that person planted fake evidence in my room, including the bloody butcher's knife used in the crime. I was put on many false charges and sentenced to life in prison. I ran away, broken and lost. Eventually I ran across Wolf, and he seemed to sympathize with me, so he helped me get back on my feet. Granted, I was eventually doing illegal activities, but it was infinitely better than living in a jail cell for the rest of my life. After the Aparoid War, I was given a chance to start over, and now I'm living out my aspirations."

Fox sat there speechless. He had never given a thought about how the members of team Star Wolf had even ended up where they were. He had always assumed they were just villains who decided to team up. Eventually he spoke up. "I just thought that the bad guys were always bad from the beginning."

"Some are and some aren't. People like Pigma Dengar and Andrew Oikonny fall under that category. That fucker Pigma was only concerned with his own benefit. Andrew had evil intentions close to those of his uncle Andross. Wolf, Leon and I, however, were just there due to circumstance. You've heard my story already. Leon had his own reasons for joining, but I'm not sure of what they would be. You'll have to ask him yourself. Wolf on the other hand-"

Fox cut in. "I know Wolf's story, because I'm pretty much at fault for causing it…"

"Yeah I know. He's told me. He's also told me his half of the story. But if I relay that to you, that cruel bastard will personally come after me to cut off my tongue and balls, so I'm keeping my mouth shut."

"Why doesn't he want you to tell me?"

"Uh…reasons…"

"Right…got it…but…I just feel absolutely terrible for what I did, and I can't really forgive myself for it."

At this Panther sat down next to Fox and gave him a warm hug. Fox's face displayed an expression that was somewhere between wonder and horror, but it quickly mellowed out to one of embarrassment. At least they were alone in the room. Panther played an act of fake innocence and stuck out his tongue like there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he did. Fox contemplated asking about Wolf like he did with the shrink, but he decided that another, less awkward time would be more suitable. Panther then chimed in again.

"I know how to make you feel better!"

And with that, Panther leaned forward and planted a kiss on Fox's forehead, which made Fox's cheeks turn red. Panther looked at him and smiled before adding:

"You really do look cute when you're embarrassed. No wonder so many people are interested in you."

This just made the blushing worse, to the point where it almost looked as if the cheek fur was changing color. Panther, noting the extreme discomfort he was causing, decided to stop tormenting the poor vulpine, even though he was thoroughly enjoying screwing with the now flustered Fox. He tried to be a gentleman in all that he did, so he decided to move on to his next topic as soon as possible.

"So team Star Wolf has decided to forgive you guys for all the times you've screwed our missions over, but we are also sorry for being on the wrong side and attacking you just because of that, so can you forgive us?"

Fox thought very hard about this. He would probably have to consult his team, but he didn't exactly want to talk with them quite yet. He would also have a hard time explaining why Panther started hugging him. He figured that since he was the leader, his team would trust his judgment anyway, so he gave his answer.

"Yes…"

He thought for a moment about this sudden change of attitude, and doubt overtook him a little. Why was Panther being so nice all of a sudden? He decided to simply ask.

"Although, I'm dying to ask you something. Are you purposely being nice to me to improve your chances with Krystal?"

"That wasn't the original intention… but since you put it that way, I suppose it is a bonus. I assume you'll relay my good intentions to the rest of your team?"

"I will. It's nice to know that you guys aren't completely evil… I think…"

"We really aren't, and it looks like you're feeling better."

Fox was actually feeling much better after talking to Panther, and he never expected him to be so kind. Fox nodded in response before Panther spoke again, except this time in a more suspicious tone.

"Well Foxy, if you are ever feeling down and need a pick-me-up, feel free to spend a night at my place. I'm quite confident in my ability to 'entertain' guests."

Panther gave a sly wink to further convey the hidden message. Fox never expected Panther to be bisexual, but it didn't surprise him either. Fox never really paid much attention to his own sexuality as he just always assumed that he was straight. He decided the safest move was to give a vague answer.

"I don't know… We'll see…"

"Well, you have my contacts and address in case you're interested."

"Wait…I do?"

"Yeah, check your phone."

Fox immediately pulled out his phone and went to his contacts. Lo and behold, the name of Panther Caroso could be found in the list.

"H-how?"

"Well while you were busy eating the first dish, I slipped your phone away, and apparently you don't make a habit of locking your phone after you set it down."

"I swear I locked it…"

"Your phone contacts state otherwise."

"What else did you do to my phone?"

"Um…I had the entire time to play with it, so…um…whatever you do, do not go through your photos."

"Yeah…no… What did you take pictures of? And when did you slip the phone back?"

"I brought it back along with the dessert. You had a face full of cake already, so you didn't notice."

"Right…"

Fox looked through the photos on his phone. A quarter of them were selfies that Panther took of himself. The rest were pictures of the dishes Panther had prepared.

Panther was sitting so close to Fox that their shoulders were touching. This was mostly because he wanted to know how the photos had turned out. Fox didn't object much anyway, as the day couldn't really get too much more awkward. He had already somewhat gotten used to the weirdness. Suddenly Panther chimed in again.

"Fox, dude, do you even know how high-res the camera on your uPhone is? It's so not fair. I wanted to get this model, but it way out of my price range at the time. You are one lucky bastard, being able to afford expensive shit…"

Fox grinned, which only prompted Panther to give him another hug and to start licking his cheek.

Fox raised an eyebrow, but didn't try to back away like earlier. It wasn't really THAT sexual… plus felines are big lickers for the most part. Panther's happy attitude was actually kind of cute. Regardless, his warmth was much needed anyway.

"Are you this playful around everyone?"

"Nope, although I'd like to. When you are Lylat's best chef, you have to be all professional ALL the time. I also can't do this when trying to impress women because they all seem to go after the super-serious and elegant guys who have a high-class aura. Oh yeah, and for those who know me as a mercenary, I have to put on a tough guy attitude, and you can probably figure why."

"I can definitely relate to the 'being professional' part. It's really annoying have to live up to other people's standards, and you definitely wouldn't want people to think that you've 'grown soft,' because if you're a mercenary, it doesn't help business."

Panther yawned and then looked at the clock on Fox's phone. It was almost nine o'clock at night. The event ran from one o'clock in the afternoon to eight o'clock at night. This had gone completely unnoticed to Fox, and it didn't help that the restaurants window curtains had been closed. The room they were in had no windows at all. The feline immediately got up and smoothed out his chefs clothes. Panther then said:

"It's getting late… Plus, I have to walk home. I didn't drive here because parking is annoying, even when you are a guest. You have a place to stay?"

"Well my house was totaled and is undergoing reconstruction at the moment. It's going to take almost 2 hours to get back to my ship. Plus, I haven't come up with a good reason for my absence yet. Do you think I could stay at your place?"

"That should be fine, although…actually…err…never mind. I have an empty bed, and don't worry; I'm too exhausted from the contest to fuck you in your sleep, in case that is a going concern."

"I'm afraid you just made it one."

Panther just grinned as he grabbed all his stuff. Fox stood up and stretched his legs, almost falling over due to the numbness from sitting too long. Fox followed Panther outside and down the road to his house. It was okay in size, but plenty large enough for one person. The inside was relatively neat and clean, and it seemed pretty comfortable. Eventually the question came up of where Fox was to sleep.

"Well…uh…you see…"

Fox raised an eyebrow at Panther as he waited for an explanation.

"I have two bedrooms. My own, and the 'guest' bedroom. Here, let me show you."

They looked at Panther's bedroom first, which was pretty normal. It was a little messier than the rest of the house, but not by much. The only other notable feature were the shelves of trophies and awards on the wall. Fox had one of his own, but this one was for cooking, not flying.

"This is where I usually sleep. It's a bedroom, not much to say."

Panther set his new trophy on the shelf before going to the next room.

"This… is the 'guest' bedroom… It's actually the love room a.k.a. the sex dungeon."

Fox looked inside and he immediately stared in awe and horror. There was a purple bed in the middle of the room with four steel posts at the corners that were connected by four more steel bars at the top. They each had holes and hooks that were equally spaced from each other so you could attach things to it. On the walls hung a variety of bondage equipment and torture devices. The wall to the right had drawers and cabinets spanning the entire wall face. Fox was curious as to what was in them, but something inside told him that he didn't want to know. On the left was a door to the bathroom, which connected the two bedrooms.

"Here in this room, you can find almost any and every sex toy in existence, with new ones being added frequently. I'm not exactly excited about sleeping alone in this room. What about you?"

"Yeah… me neither… so I guess we roll a die to see who gets the normal bedroom?"

"You really do make things difficult huh? We could just share the normal bed…"

Fox gave Panther a blank stare.

"What? Why are you looking at me all weird? Have you never had to share a bed with someone?"

Fox shook his head slowly for an extended period of time, as if it would magically make a third bed appear out of thin air if he did so long enough. Panther eventually spoke again.

"I'm going to sleep in my bed. You can choose either bed to sleep in. I won't mind."

Fox decided that it wouldn't be terrible to sleep with Panther. He followed the feline into his room and jumped onto the bed. It was a twin sized bed with one side up against the wall. He immediately realized that he would be stuck once Panther hopped in, but it was too comfortable, as Panther had a good taste in beds as well as food, and Fox couldn't muster enough willpower to move. Panther turned around to see Fox rolling around on the bed like a kit. He chuckled before saying:

"Looks like the other room was too scary for you too huh, or do you just like me that much?"

Fox stuck his tongue out at Panther in response. It was a little frightening being in there alone, but if Panther were to walk in and be just a little too horny… well… one thing would have led to another, and pretty soon Fox would probably have been gagged, tied up, and tormented until the feline decided that Fox deserved to cum, which might be never. Fox thought the scenario through several times whilst gauging whether he would like such treatment. His thoughts were cut off by the sight of Panther taking his chef's pants off, revealing the compression boxer briefs that he was wearing underneath. They were military grade flight undergarments, but they happened to be extremely comfortable wearing day to day as well. They also showed every curve of Panther's ass, which so very well-toned if fact, that Fox stared at it for a second to admire it before turning the other way. He heard Panther's shirt come off next, but he didn't look. He just kept his body turned toward the wall as Panther hopped in bed alongside him. He immediately felt Panther's arm reach over and pull him close to his chest. This was accompanied by a happy purring from the feline.

"Are you just really horny? Or are you actually happy that I'm sharing a bed with you?"

"Are you kidding? I'm spending a night cuddling with the son of my childhood hero, how can I not be excited?"

"Sure… then what's that bulge in your boxer briefs that I feel rubbing against my backside?"

"Okay, maybe a little too excited, but I promised that I wouldn't do anything, so why are you worried?"

"I'm not worried, I'm just speculating…"

"Well speculate tomorrow. I'm tired and I want to go to sleep, so if you have any last words before bed, say them now."

"Why couldn't you be like this earlier?"

"Reasons… good night Foxy…"

"Good night Panther."

* * *

So this was meant to be a Fox/Wolf fanfic, yet I somehow put Fox and Panther into the same bed. Excuse me as I go check my brain.

Again, another thank you for reading. Review plz?

Chapter 4 next week! Yay!... I think...


	4. The Twisted Past

Sorry that Chapter 4 is a day late... I got distracted by watching Bleach. On top of that, My internet crapped out yesterday. I may or may not have pulled an all-nighter to finish this chapter.

I noticed that my chapters are getting longer, but the next one shouldn't be too long, I think...

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. The support is greatly appreciated. *cries tears of joy and passes out*

Panther: "So it looks like the author is unconscious..."

Fox: "YES FINALLY I CAN GET MY REVENGE ON THAT BASTARD" *starts kicking unconscious author*

Wolf: *puts Fox into a headlock and pulls him away* "Woah there pup, calm down... you're supposed to be the peace-loving one"

Fox: "PEACE-LOVING MY ASS! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT BASTARD IS GOING TO DO TO ME?!"

Leon: *jumps out of nowhere* "Hey guys."

Fox, Wolf, & Panther: "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU COME FROM?!"

Leon: "The front door, and I seem to have the most lines... Why do I have to do so much talking?! You three are the loudmouths here..."

Fox: "YOU TAKE THAT BACK! I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!"

* * *

**The Twisted Past**

"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP"

"Uhhhhhg…Panther… what time is it…?" mumbled a sleepy Fox.

"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP"

"Panther…?"

"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP"

'Damn it, he's already up. Seriously, what time is it anyway?'

Fox sat up and looked at the beeping alarm clock. It was 6:30 AM, and it was still dark outside. The days were getting shorter as winter approached. Fox quickly realized that he was shirtless from the cold autumn air biting at his chest and back.

'Panther must have somehow taken my shirt off while I was asleep. Either he's super stealthy, or I was one hundred and ten percent unconscious last night…"

"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP"

"SHUT UP!"

Fox slammed the giant metal "dismiss" button on the alarm clock with his open hand, but he was instantly met with an intense electrical jolt that ran up through his entire arm. He yelped in surprise before shouting:

"BLOODY SON-OF-A…"

Fox stopped as soon as he noticed Panther standing in the doorway. It was still hard to see, as the thick drapes on the window blocked what little light was available from outside. Fox could only barely make out the silhouette of the feline. Panther's golden eyes, however, seemed to glow like a candle flame, which was the dead giveaway of his presence.

"Looks like you enjoyed the alarm clock surprise. I assume you're awake now?"

"Haha, very funny…"

Panther sat down on the bed next to Fox, while holding two mugs in his hands. Fox wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and pulled it around himself to cover his chest.

"I figured you would be cold, so I made some hot chocolate."

"Is it spiked?"

"Yep."

"Kay."

Panther handed one of the two mugs over to Fox, who held it as gingerly as possible, like it would spontaneously explode if it were disturbed. He quickly noted how nice the warmness of the mug felt in his cold paws. Fox took an over-exaggerated deep breath, as if it were his last, before taking a sip at the aromatic liquid. Fox eventually said:

"I'm surprised I'm still conscious… What did you add? Vitamins?"

"No I added Viagra… OF COURSE THEY WERE VITAMINS YOU FURRY DIPSHIT! WHAT ELSE COULD IT POSSIBLY BE?!"

"I could think of some things…"

The two started giggling uncontrollably as dirty thoughts came to their minds, and soon the giggling turned into an all-out laughing fit. Even after the wave of hysteria passed. It took about five minutes before either of them could finish a coherent statement without laughing like a crazy idiot halfway through. Fox was the first to succeed and return to the realm of normalness.

"This stuff is really good. Personal recipe I assume?"

Panther gave a small nod in response before they both went back to sipping their drink. The next couple of minutes became an unspoken competition to see who could make the loudest, most exaggerated sipping sound. Panther came out as the winner, but only because Fox ran out of hot chocolate first. Fox, feeling warmer, opened up the front of his blanket-cloak to keep himself at a comfortable temperature. Panther suddenly stopped and stared at Fox's chest, which was now giving off an almost unnoticeable blue glow. Fox was completely oblivious as to what was going on.

"Panther? Is there something wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Panther set his drink down on the bedside table before slowly reaching his hand toward Fox's chest. He reached for Fox's pendant and brought it toward himself for a closer look. Fox started panicking a little so he decided to say something.

"Oh that's just something my dad gave to me. Doesn't it look pretty?"

"Bullshit."

Panther then immediately reached inside his own shirt and pulled out something that made Fox gasp. It was a similar looking pendant, except it featured a red crystal instead of a blue one.

"You… have one too?"

Panther simply nodded before stating:

"If we are connected then they should fit together like puzzle pieces right? I guess there's only one way to find out."

The two held their breath as Panther tried to fit the two pendants together, but they didn't match up. Panther tried flipping one of the pieces over but to no avail. The two both let out a long, drawn-out sigh before Panther spoke again.

"Well that was uneventful… So we don't match up…For a moment I thought the wait was over."

"Ditto."

"That doesn't mean we can't still have fun with each other…right…?"

By now Fox was quite experienced at giving Panther blank stares, who was now grinning ear to ear as he finished the rest of his hot chocolate. Once the vulpine's mind had finished processing everything he gave his reply.

"I would like to meet this fated lover girl first. I'm not about to lose my virginity to anybody other than this gal. That, and I'm not gay."

"Correction: it's a guy. Also, YOU'RE A VIRGIN?"

"Ehh…what?"

"Your mate-to-be is going to be a male, and you've never had sex?"

The blank stare officially became Fox's signature expression for the day. Eventually he broke out of the trance and inquired further.

"How do you know?"

"You really didn't do much research on these pendants did you? Normally, when the crystals pair a guy and a girl, the guy will get the Alpha crystal, while the female gets the Omega variant. If the two being paired are the same gender, the more dominant of the two will get the Alpha crystal. You got an Omega crystal. Your match is a guy, and why are you still a virgin?"

"I still don't get it…"

"If you are a guy, and you get an Alpha crystal, your pair could be either gender, but if you get the Omega crystal, your pair would be a male. Likewise if you are a girl, and you get an Omega crystal, your pair could be either gender, but if you get an Alpha crystal, your pair would be a female. Also, you should not be a virgin."

"But I'm not gay… or bi… I think."

"Oy…"

Panther then pushed Fox back onto the bed and pinned the vulpine on his back.

Fox made no move to resist as shock once again took hold of his mind. He could only lie there and watch the feline looming over him. Panther made quick work of his own clothes, and in a blink of an eye, all that was left on his figure were obsidian-black form fitting boxer briefs from last night that matched his fur so well, you wouldn't have been able to tell they were there.

"P-Panther… W-what are you doing…?"

"Sexual divination, just go with it."

Panther straddled Fox's hips and used his hands to pin the vulpine's shoulders to the bed, rendering him helpless. Panther was much, much stronger than his outward appearance showed, so Fox's couldn't break free, but he didn't make an attempt to either. He simply squirmed a bit under the feline. As much as he tried to fight it, his eyes were transfixed on the slender body in front of him. Panther began slowly grinding his ass on Fox's crotch, which was covered only by his own boxer briefs. The vulpine let out a small, but stifled moan, followed by near inaudible whimpering.

"Panther… stop… please…"

Panther worked his hands over Fox's chest and used his claws to draw small circles around the 2 hardened nubs on the vulpine's chest, before squeezing them hard and rolling them between his fingers slowly. This was answered by a loud gasp from Fox as his member began to swell and harden. Once Panther took notice of this, he immediately stopped and got off the helpless Fox. Panther smiled and said:

"Well, it looks like you passed the test. Welcome to the queer club!"

"Fuck you." Said Fox as he stared at his own crotch in frustration. Panther just grinned as he got up out of bed.

"It could have been worse. I could have gone down on you right then and there."

"Like hell you would have! Not on my watch!"

Fox was fuming, but Panther simply broke into a laugh. Fox quickly found it extremely difficult to stay mad at the feline, and ended up laughing too. After they calmed down, Panther resumed the conversation.

"Now that you've admitted that you like guys at least a little bit, back to my other question. Why the hell are you still a virgin?"

"Well, I've only ever dated Krystal, and my dad told me to wait until I found that one true love, and that hasn't happened yet."

"Your dad's an asshole."

"Hey! You watch your mouth!"

"May I add that he fucked everyone who was attracted to males in the flight academy at least three times? Even some of the instructors did it with him…"

"SAY WHAAAAAAT?!"

"Yep, your dad was a walking libido. Embrace your family history, right? From what I know, he stopped sleeping around after he met your mother, but after that incident… he kind of went back to his old habits…"

"I always wondered where he was disappearing off to…"

"On a brighter note, I know from personal experience how great he is in bed. I was also one of the only people who managed to get him to agree to bottoming, albeit only once."

"You… and my dad… fucked?"

"On multiple occasions, and trust me, that's not that surprising… a lot of people had sex with him… Rumor at the academy said that you could tell who spent the night with him just by looking at them. After he was done with you, you would have trouble walking the next day. I can also second this to some extent."

"Well, do you have anything else to tell me that's startling?"

"Yeah I do. After your mother passed, James fell into a state of depression for a while. Then one day he crossed paths with Wolf, and through some bizarre turn of events they started liking each other."

"What… the actual… fuck?"

"Yeah… long story… I'm sure Wolf will tell you in the future, but in short, your dad died in the Lylat War, which you already know. Anyway, Wolf tried to commit suicide, but Leon and I managed to stop him. He's never been the same since…"

"Why the hell hasn't he gotten over it yet? Even I have, and I'm James own son!"

"Well, about a week before James died, they had gotten married… Your dad was actually buried with the ring. Wolf also still wears his, so he's a long ways away from getting over it, especially because he feels that it was his fault. Trust me, things get complicated very, very fast."

Fox was so in shock that he almost tumbled off the bed.

"They were… m-ma-married…?"

"Yeah…"

"I… think… I… need to lay down…"

"Yeah… you probably should."

Panther got up to leave the room but turned around at the doorway and watched for a few minutes to make sure Fox would be okay. After Fox had completely fell asleep, Panther left the room.

When Fox awoke, he found a note on the bedside table. It read:

"Hey Foxy, I actually had to leave for a business meeting with an advertising firm, and I won't be back until late. Feel free to explore the house if you want. Sorry that I had to tell you all that earlier… I just felt that it was best to tell you that while you were in a calm mood. Please feel better soon and try not to get too worked up over it, okay? There's a TV and a bunch of video games in the space sectioned off from the living room for entertainment. My computer is in the office. I made an extra account, and it's already been configured to recognize you, so you don't need a password. The computer extends throughout the house, so you can access your stuff from any of the touch panels located on the walls. There's food in the refrigerator for you to eat. If you want to look at and/or touch stuff, feel free, as long as it's within reason and you don't break anything. Oh and one last note, if you want to experiment with any of the "toys" in that room I showed you, be sure to toss them into the black receptacle on the wall when you're done with them. That's the automated cleaner which also disinfects the inserted items, because, you know… safety is important, right? There's also an extra touch panel on the wall in case you need to look up how to use any of them. So yeah, feel better, have fun, stay safe, and see ya later!"

'I… think I'll stay away from the "toys" for now…" Fox thought to himself.

Fox decided to get to know the house better first. There were two bathrooms and bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, a living room, and a garage, but at the end of the hallway, there was a thick steel door. Fox tried to find a way to open the door, but when he touched its surface, a screen on it immediately lit up and said:

"Sorry, you do not have permission to enter this facility."

Fox thought to himself:

'That's odd, what in the world is behind that door that requires so much security? Ehh… it's probably none of my business anyway.'

Fox eventually settled on playing videogames. When he got to the entertainment room, his eyes almost jumped out of his head. Along with a huge TV, there, lined up neatly in several rows, was every game console that ever existed. To the left, one large bookshelf spanned the entire wall. It was filled with games and random game related things that were collected over many years. However, to the right, there was another bookshelf that took up the entire wall as well, except this one was covered by bulletproof glass and lit by gallery lights. Inside were a plethora of exclusive limited edition items from Nintendo, many of them in mint condition.

'Damn, Panther seems to be a hardcore Nintendo fan. Why does this not surprise me?'

After Fox finished marveling at everything, the Wii U caught his eye. He picked up the gamepad and sat back on the couch, which was very comfortable. The TV turned on automatically along with the Wii U as Fox pushed the power button on the gamepad. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was already loaded into the disk tray, and Fox couldn't pick a game to save his life anyway, so he just went with it. After fifteen minutes, he was already mashing keys and yelling at the CPUs. Three hours flew past when suddenly a voice spoke to him from the right.

"Hey Fox."

Fox was so startled that he jumped out of his seat and flew to the left before falling onto the carpeted floor, which had, thankfully, cushioned his abrupt descent. The voice spoke again.

"Sorry, it's just me."

Fox looked up from the floor to see a familiar green chameleon staring back at him. He was wearing a dark grey hoodie and light grey sweatpants.

"Jeez Leon, you scared the living shit out of me! Where the hell did you come from anyway?!"

Fox got back onto the sofa as Leon reached for controller.

"I came in the front door like any normal person. You were just too busy screaming at the TV. Mind if I join you?"

"Uh, go ahead…"

They began to play one-on-one matches, with Leon always winning somehow. Fox was getting steadily more frustrated. Leon eventually noticed and spoke.

"You know, I've been sitting here watching you play for about two hours now. I've been analyzing your strategy, and to be brutally honest, you don't really have a strategy in this game, do you?"

"TWO HOURS?!"

"Yeah, and that's the only reason I'm beating you. Once you catch onto my playing style, we'd probably be more equal, but then again, I can just change it as soon as you figure it out."

"I kind of guessed, but tell me this, how in the world have you gone completely unnoticed all this time?"

"When you're playing videogames, you seem to drop your guard completely. You also seem to start becoming less and less aware of your surroundings. However, it isn't all to blame, I'm sure. Oh and by the way, you've died four times since you started looking at me."

"OH COME ON THAT'S CHEATING!"

"You were the one who looked at me without pausing, not me."

Suddenly someone came in through the front door.

"HEY GUYS, I'M BACK FROM SHOPPING AT THE MA…"

The figure stopped as soon as he saw Fox leaning backward over the couch staring at him, upside down. Leon had simply turned around. They both said in unison.

"Hey Wolf."

Wolf was wearing the same clothes that Fox saw him wear yesterday and was also carrying over a hundred shopping bags in his hands. A brief glimmer brought Fox's eyes to the lupine's left hand. There, a beautiful golden wedding band shone and glimmered, almost obscured by all the colorful paper bags. After staring at it for a couple seconds, Fox's eyes moved back up to the lupine's face.

Wolf was staring in disbelief at the scene in front of him. The fact that Fox and Leon weren't trying to kill each other was, in his eyes, completely insane. Leon, however, was extremely skilled in reading people, so he spoke first.

"Killing Fox in a game is good enough for me. All I care about is humiliating him, and I got what I want. You can calm yourself now. Put all that stuff down go rest in your room."

"Yeah, but first, tell me: Why the hell is that brat here? And when did he get here?"

Wolf's attitude got Fox angry, so the vulpine stood up to face Wolf.

"I'm here because I was invited here last night, you got that? So, don't start anything you're going to regret…"

However, Wolf was silent, so Fox spoke again.

"What, cat got your tongue?"

Leon quickly jumped in.

"Fox, remember how I stated that you are unaware of your surroundings? I was being quite literal. You're still in your boxer briefs as you completely forgot to get dressed. Wolf simply paused to admire your beautifully well-toned body, isn't that right?"

"SHUT IT YOU ANNOYING LIZARD! I was just looking at the matchmaker pendent you're wearing. It makes you look girly," interjected Wolf.

"So you know about them… does that mean you have one?" said Fox, raising an eyebrow. Wolf quickly snapped back.

"What the hell do you think you're trying to pull, pup? All I know is that Panther has one. You can search all you want, but you won't find one belonging to me."

Leon got up out of his seat and walked over to Wolf and slipped him a s folded note (which went unnoticed by Fox) while saying:

"Wolf, you've been awake for more than 24 hours now. Please calm down and go rest. You really need it."

Leon took the bags from Wolf and set them down in a corner of the room while Wolf went down the hallway. Fox heard the steel door at the end of the hall open and close. It was a normal sound to hear, as almost all spacecraft and space stations use similar doors. It just wasn't normal to hear in a civilian home. Leon came back and sat down again. They resumed playing on the Wii U. After a brief period of silence, Leon spoke again.

"Sorry about all that Fox. Wolf is usually not that agitated, except when he's around you. I know a lot of things about him, but I still haven't figured out why he's eternally pissed at you. I do know, however, that his feelings and emotions are a threat to himself."

"Well first, I happened to him. Then, my dad happened to him."

"So Panther told you then? Figures. I mean, I have an idea as to why he acts the way he does, but it's obvious I'm missing some key details."

"Where has he been this past day anyway? He looked really worn out…"

"There was a 24 hour sale at the Corneria City Mall where everything was 50% off. He likes shopping, so he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity."

"Uhuh, but seriously, how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get him to do as you say."

"Well, we go way back. I was relatively shy, but he reached out to me and said that we could be friends. Our species are naturally stealthy, so whenever he got into deep shit at the academy, I would clean up after him. Most importantly, I've never been caught, even by him. We're the same age, but I swear, he still has the maturity of a little kid sometimes. I had nothing better to do, so I took care of any problems that came up, beat up anybody who wanted to hurt him. After he found out about what I was doing, he told me that if I ever hurt you, he'd personally rip me to pieces, even though we were friends, and I don't think he was kidding either. That aside, he always took my advice from then on, so I had a big say in mercenary team decisions, but Wolf was the leader because he had the character of one. If at least one of us knew what we were doing, we were fine."

"Wait, Wolf actually cared about me back then?"

"Yeah he did. Wait… are you telling me that you didn't know? Well, you were very lucky he said that, because after what you did to him, I was ready to murder you and dump your body into an incinerator. Allow me to put heavy emphasis on the fact that up until that point, I had not killed or even thought about killing anybody before, at least not seriously. Wolf actually had to come to me and threaten me a second time as to keep you alive. Be thankful. Be very, very thankful."

"I am, and do you still hate me for what I did?"

"I did for a while, but eventually I realized it was a big misunderstanding fueled by jealousy and hormones, and I forgave you."

"That's great and all, but I still haven't forgiven myself."

"There will come a point where you will find solace, even after you've done something like that. Amends are made eventually, it's just not time yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Ehh... you're younger than me. You'll understand eventually."

"OKAY, DON'T YOU PLAY THE SENIORITY CARD ON ME YOU FUCKER!"

"Experience is the best teacher. I'm not saying a thing. Although I did want to ask you how you ended up here in the first place."

"I attended that big chef's contest and talked to Panther. I also needed a place to stay."

"Where'd you sleep?"

Fox blushed a bit before replying.

"In his arms…"

"Did your pendants fit together?"

Fox was completely caught off guard by how nonchalantly Leon had asked, as if it were no big deal. He was one of those people that could never be understood. You could only be glad to be on their friends list.

"Uhh… no…"

"Did he take your virginity?"

"He offered sex while we were still at the restaurant, but nothing beyond that… wait… how in the name of Lylat did you know I'm a virgin?"

"I'm magic, and I'm surprised that that's all he did."

"It's kinda obvious… isn't it? And how is it surprising?"

"Pretty much, and you are the second person to ever share a bed with Panther without him trying to get into your pants."

"Who's the first?"

"Me. He knows better than to do that with me. I'd slice his balls off in a blink of an eye. So… do you want the story of who took who's virginity?"

"I… don't know…"

"Well… Wolf took Panther's virginity, your dad took Wolf's, and nobody knows who your dad James fucked first, because as far as everyone knows, he's been going at it since the beginning of time. Although there's rumors that it was Beltino…"

"What about you?"

"I've never had sex. As far as I know I'm asexual, so I just keep friends, but I don't have many friends because I don't talk with people a whole lot. It's not because I hate talking, it's just I don't initiate conversation much at all. Strangers don't usually try to chat with me because I keep a low profile and act busy. People who do know me usually are more interested in avoiding me for fear of being murdered on the spot. They're not going to think, 'Hey! I'm going to strike up a conversation with that assassin Leon! This is a great idea!' No… Do you see what I mean?"

"Funny to think that here I am, talking with you like we're best buddies"

"It is amusing yes, but do you really want to be locked in life-or-death combat with me."

"Aren't I already?"

"This just looks like death combat for you. I've got 109 kills on you. You've only got 7."

"I was wondering if you were keeping track. You are probably one of the most observant people I know. Nothing goes by unnoticed with you, huh?"

"And you wonder why I never get caught doing anything…"

"Like sneaking up on me… which brings up the question: Why are you and Wolf here?"

"Ah. We live here, just underground. Past that steel door is a military grade lift that goes about 20 feet down. Panther originally built this place for himself, but since we didn't have any place to stay, he added rooms underground. His dad was an engineer and an architect who worked for Space Dynamics. Panther learned all the skills from his dad. There's two extra bedrooms underground, a large storage room, and another, special room, but I won't spoil the secret. I'll leave the fun for Panther, and I also value having my scales still attached to me. Did you know Panther has cybernetic claws? They're normally harmless, but when activated, they produce zero-point force fields that make them hundreds of times harder than diamond and sharp enough to split one right down the middle. Gift from Andross."

"Should I be feeling angry at the name?"

"I'm not surprised, but no. Andross was never evil to start. He was one of the nicest people you could meet. He pushed our technology hundreds of years into the future, yet he never kept any money for himself. He was also a doctor, and he came up with breakthrough cures that saved millions of lives. He gave people cybernetics for free, because he thought that people should have the right to being whole again. Although Andross designed millions of weapons, he kept all the blueprints in flash drive imbedded next to his heart. He never made any of them a reality, with a couple of exceptions. Four to be exact. His most dangerous technology was known as the zero-point energy manipulator. It was code named 'hard light' due to it being like a hologram in appearance, but acting like a solid object. He implanted this into four cybernetic devices and gave them to me, Panther, Wolf, and your father, James. A high-ranking government official wanted to buy the technology from him, but he refused, fearing the damage it could do. As a result, said official framed Andross for plotting to destroy Corneria, so the old scientist was exiled to Venom. That planet has a toxic cloud which should have killed him, as only venomian natives and reptiles can survive in that atmosphere, but the universal antidote he developed a few years prior saved him. He hired us to help clear his name, but the toxic cloud quickly started deteriorating his brain. He gradually began to develop a split personality. That other version of him had no morals and became increasingly evil by the day, and it started taking control over his body. While he was still sane, he tried to treat himself, but it was already too late. The last time he was ever his old, kind self, he ripped out the flash drive in his chest and uploaded his own consciousness to it. He then used a special algorithm to remove his evil alter ego from the copy and gave the flash drive to James, the man he trusted most. I'm not sure what your dad did with it, but I have a vague feeling that he gave it to Wolf. Eventually Evil-Andross formed an army, and you know the rest of the story."

"Why did he murder my dad?"

"Well, the old Andross was one sneaky bastard… always a step ahead of everyone else… While he didn't manage to destroy his unwanted alter-ego, he did manage to isolate his own knowledge and memories, and then wipe those of his alter. As such, Evil-Andross didn't share the same knowledge as he did. The alter eventually learned that the original had weapon blueprints. He also learned that the original had given them to your dad. On top of that, he discovered rumors that your dad had a fully working version of the zero-point energy manipulator in his cybernetic. He was trying to get his hands on your dad to extract the information from him, but died before Andross got to him."

"What was my dad's cybernetic implant anyway?"

"Your dad had been poisoned at one point. The chemical targeted the heart and completely destroyed it. There were no donor hearts available and he was dying. Andross decided to take drastic measures and took the smallest version of the zero point energy manipulator he had and installed in place of the heart after configuring it. The device worked, drawing energy from the surrounding cells to form a fake heart, and he lived. Andross eventually hooked up the device to your dad's brain so he could control it. It enabled him to do crazy things like make force fields and pick up stuff from a distance. His body acted as an excellent amplifier for the device, so it synced with his movements, enabling to even punch through walls if he wanted to. This was all amazing, except he almost never used it, for fear of being discovered, and for fear of a side effect: If he used it too much, he would collapse, because the device draws energy from the body reserves. Due to its size, the small energy buffer couldn't hold very much, and it was only used to keep him alive if he couldn't replenish his energy supply. Same goes for the three of us, so we keep use to a minimum as well. Back to the story, Evil-Andross eventually declared war, and Pigma betrayed your dad. While your dad was on the transport ship with Wolf, he killed himself, sorta… This is where the story gets shaky. James did something which caused the device to vanish without a trace. It even left a dead heart in its place with his own DNA. His entire body just instantly died. Beforehand, James had told Wolf to make it look like he was murdered, and he did so. As such, Evil-Andross lost his chance to get his hands on a weapon that would have guaranteed his victory. But something wasn't right. I was there to watch, and it looked like his body was just replaced by a dead corpse. Completely instant death. Do you want to know your dad's last words?

"I'm not sure, but you're probably going to tell me anyway."

"He said: 'I'll be back,' and since then, I've been trying to find clues as to what really happened. Wolf is convinced that he'll never see James again, but I'm not so sure…"

"I think I saw my dad during the Aparoid Invasion, but I assumed I was hallucinating…"

"We know Andross found a way to cheat death itself, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did that with James as well, albeit through a different method."

"Wait a minute, how do you know all this to be true? And how do I know you're not lying to me?"

"Andross was a good friend of mine, and I keep all my friends under constant supervision. I know with absolute certainty that he was framed. I have also never spoken a lie. I simply refuse to speak if I'm unable to give the truth. Lies help no one."

"Okay, at least I know I can trust you, so how do you know he was framed?"

"Said government official from earlier was accused of many crimes by the Court of the Eclipse. One of the ones listed was framing Andross and being the root cause of the Lylat War. He was found guilty."

"What is this Court of the Eclipse?"

"Okay, whatever I say next must not leave your mouth, understood?"

"Yes."

"The Court of the Eclipse is the dark side to our justice system. They operate behind closed doors. No jury. No public hearings. The accused is completely unaware of the prosecution. A third of the court defends the person, another third prosecutes, and the final third makes the decision. The only punishment they deal is death. If a decision is not reached, they continue to monitor your every move. Only the Commander in Chief is allowed to request an Eclipse Case, as they're called. Almost no one knows about this Court. I only know because I work for them. I perform the assassinations."

"So, you killed the guy."

"I murdered him and made it look like an accident, yes. On another note, I usually don't enjoy murdering people. Torture is definitely more fun, but I enjoyed every minute of watching that bastard die for what he did to Andross, and in extension, all of Lylat."

"Why don't they put him through the regular court system?"

"Too complicated, too slow, too much drama, and he knows ways to worm his way out. He's done it already, and he can't be found guilty for the same crime after he's been found innocent. After going through the court once, he didn't leave any decisive evidence that could justify another arrest. The Court of the Eclipse has its own laws, so that was the only way. He was also committing too many crimes too quickly, and it was decided that he must be stopped. Any other questions about the court?"

"No, and I promise not to speak of this."

"Good."

"So… do we talk about something else?"

"It's actually half past noon, so it's time for lunch."

"Can't we eat it later? I want to keep playing…"

Leon immediately tackled Fox to the ground and locked the vulpine's arms behind his back.

"That wasn't exactly a question. You never ate breakfast. You're not skipping lunch too."

"Damnit! Get off me! And I did eat breakfast!"

"Hot chocolate isn't breakfast, sir."

"WHAT THE?! HOW THE HELL DID YOU KNOW?"

"Well let's see, you still have traces of a chocolate milk mustache. I do the dishes around here since I don't mind water, and when I came in, there were two empty mugs with traces of chocolate, as well as an empty plate and one set of utensils. That plate was Panthers personal kitty plate that he never lets anybody else use. On top of that, being part of the culinary arts has given him a large amount of respect for the three meals of the day. He'll never skip a meal unless he's forced to. Also keep in mind that I have an acute sense of vibrations. So much so, that laying against things allows me to see inside of them in a manner akin to ultrasound. Your stomach is empty, and if you don't eat I will shove food down your throat. Understand?"

"Okay, okay… but since when have you been so concerned with my eating habits?"

"I'm not, it's just if I let you keep playing, you'll wind up skipping dinner as well, and if Panther finds out that you went a whole day without eating, may God have mercy on your soul…"

"Yeah well what's he going to do to me?"

"You don't want to know… I'm just trying to spare you from that experience. I saw Wolf go through it, and it's not pretty. Trust me on this one."

"How would he find out anyway?"

"When it comes to food, he's magic…"

"So if I agree to eat, you'll get off of me, right?"

Leon let the vulpine go immediately and walked over to the dining table, which was right next to the kitchen. Fox followed closely behind.

"So what do you want to eat?"

"I'm sure it won't matter if it's Panther's cooking."

"I second that."

Meanwhile, Wolf was down in his room laying on his bed. He didn't want to read the note Leon gave him earlier during his little confrontation with Fox, but he felt like he should. The image of Fox lingered in his mind, but it was the pendant that stuck out the most. He didn't expect the vulpine to have one, and he didn't know how to feel about it. Wolf eventually opened the note, though rather reluctantly. It read:

"You are such a terrible liar, you know that?"

* * *

IT'S A CLIFFHANGER... sorta... not really...

Next chapter will be a flashback, so it won't be as long. That should give me a little bit of a break...

I only had enough energy to revise this 1.5 times, instead of the usual 3+ times I do it. Please review and tell me if anything can be improved. Also, feel free to bash me for IRL references. I love Nintendo. Deal with it.

Chapter 5 next week, and hopefully on schedule this time around. Thank you guys so much. It's super awesome to see people reading this.


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